Tao of Poker

WSOPE Main Event: Optimistic

By Pauly
London

Yesterday, morning I stood on my balcony of my Soho flat and gazed at the building across the street. A woman sat on the ledge of her window smoking a cigarette. The first of the day. She was still in her pajamas and I thought, "If she shifts just a bit, I can see her snatch."

And then it happened. We got bush! We got bush! Nice hair pie, love.

I need to stand on my balcony and smoke cigarettes more often.

That's how I started my Tuesday. It was all uphill from there. In the next 24 hours, I would finally get a new laptop, book a trip to Budapest for the EPT Hungarian Open, and get some news that fuckin' blew me away.

* * * * *
The damn Canadians have been integrating their coins in the UK as well. I used to see Canuck loose change all the time in the States, but it was sort of a shocker to find a Canadian quarter the other day when I got change at the local Sainsbury's. I saved the quarter and gave it to Owen from PokerListings. I told him to put it towards a travel alarm clock since he has the same problem as me... we live on the road and do not trust hotels to provide a timely wake up call. For my life, they are batting only .750. That's a sickly average in baseball, but when you log long hours and need to wake up in time for work or to head off to the airport, your fate is in someone else's hands.

* * * * *
PokerStars threw a party last night near Piccadilly Circus. The last time I went to a PokerStars party was in Las Vegas during the WSOP and I witnessed Dario and Isabelle sucking face a few meters in front of me.

Garry and I checked it this party and we wondered what sort of hijinks would ensue. We spent most of the time in the hidden bar (which was empty most of the night) inside the Cafe de Paris. We drank shitty French beer and chilled out with Martin from PokerListings, Benjo, Maria, Mad, and a slew of other folks.

The entertainment was some chick with feathers inside of a cage. She did random exotic dances while Vivaldi's Four Seasons blasted on the sound system.

I did some lime tossing with Benjo. I had been rusty but nailed my first shot for a score. Then Benjo stepped up and missed. He negotiated a deal to pay me less for his missed shot since I was a professional lime tosser. Regardless, I got paid in pounds when I should have asked for Euros!

* * * * *
The WSOPE Main Event is down to the final 24 players. The top ten includes... Justin 'BoostedJ' Smith, Daniel Negreanu, John Juanda, Johnny Lodden, Bengt Sonnert, Philippe Rouas, Ivan Demidov, Brian 'sbrugby' Townsend, Soren Kongsgaard, and Brandon Adams.

And several big names still left (with smaller stacks) such as... Andy Bloch, Erik Seidel, Mike Matusow, Mel Judah, and TMay420.

They will play down to nine on Wednesday and the final table is set for Thursday.

* * * * *
I will not be covering the WSOPE at the Empire Casino anymore. I'm heading across town starting on Wednesday to cover the PokerStars.com sponsored EPT London at the Vic.

My partner in crime will be the one and only Snoopy. We shall be providing live updates over at PokerNews.


Snoopy is one of my favorite poker writers and one of the most hysterical people you will ever meet from the UK. He's going to totally out-write me over the next few days so it's time to elevate my game so I don't look like a fuckin' amateur.

See you at the Vic.


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